• thefartographer@lemm.ee
    link
    fedilink
    English
    arrow-up
    39
    ·
    1 year ago

    Asshole replies aside: I took a technical writing course in which we learned that people struggle talking to Americans because we are obsessed with using negatives as a form of emphasis. How are you doing? Not bad! Thank you! No problem. Do you mind doing me a favor? Not at all!

    This is especially difficult who already struggle with affirmatives and then need to translate the negative. Combine this with Americans’ constant need to appeal to power, you get headlines like “Goliath Loses Battle to David With a Stone,” or “No one saw This Heat Coming,” or “What You’re Probably Doing Wrong With Your Used Toilet Paper.”

    • AaronStC@lemm.ee
      link
      fedilink
      English
      arrow-up
      4
      ·
      1 year ago

      Except for " Do you mind…" I see you point and never noticed it before. I’m guilty of most of these.

      However, the polite response to “Do you mind?” is “no.” Otherwise you would mind, and if you do mind, you wouldn’t want to do the favor. It’s actually a weird question because it basically flips the meaning of “yes” and “no” you usually expect.

      • thefartographer@lemm.ee
        link
        fedilink
        English
        arrow-up
        2
        ·
        1 year ago

        That’s a good argument untiiiillll you consider that this question is essentially a negated version of “Will you please…”

        See also: “Why don’t you…”

        • AaronStC@lemm.ee
          link
          fedilink
          English
          arrow-up
          1
          ·
          1 year ago

          Not really, you’re asking if it would be an inconvenience with would you mind.

          Your examples are direct requests.

    • Grimble [he/him,they/them]@hexbear.net
      link
      fedilink
      English
      arrow-up
      3
      ·
      edit-2
      1 year ago

      Fascinating. NGL it’s really gratifying to learn how openly the rest of the world notices America’s cultural detachment. They think they can hold onto a global monopoly of culture, while having the social skills of the average 9 year old. Things are clashing and friction is mounting, as it should.

      • thefartographer@lemm.ee
        link
        fedilink
        English
        arrow-up
        1
        ·
        1 year ago

        Huh, I know people make a lot of assumptions online, but I hadn’t felt that myself until now realizing you assume I learned this recently. I took this class nearly 15 years ago. You put some respect in your tone when you address your elders, you little bastard!

        I’m calling it now: we early-phase millennials are gonna be real cussy old folks. Telling harrowing tales of tubgirl, jumpscare videos, and 90% of our celebrities being pedos or cultists.